My doctor wants me to be on a liquid diet for a month before surgery.  I was wondering how much weight people have lost on a liquid diet.  This one will be approximately 750-1000 calories a day.  I am hoping to lose about 20 lbs.  I am not sure if that is a realistic amount to expect. 
I don't want to tell people at work about my surgey because they are gossips.  I figure if they see that I have been losing wieght they will be none the wiser.  A couple of people at work got surgery and the consensus is that there is something wrong with them mentally to have the WLS. 
Thank you in advance for your reply.

My doc did not require a pre-surgery diet. Some do and some don't. I've done it before for weight loss and thought it wasn't too horrible.

I lost 10 pounds in two weeks on a liquid diet before surgery.  I guess it shrinks the liver.
I told and 70 pounds later have yet to tell more than a hand ful of people.  I got sick after surgery so I tell people I was very sick this summer and spent a few days in a nursing home.  When people get close to asking me if I had surgery by saying ..;what did you do?  I have responded by saying I'll tell you what I'm doing now, have you seen me eat recently / I've been eating 1000 calories a day for sometime now......and I leave it at that.  I simply wasn't ready for the negitive **** people feel free to hand out.  At the same time....you have to deal with peoples lack of response to the new you too...they feel ackward... and you haven't told them so....  Don't make this about others....its all about you.  A friend saw me and said oh my god you look great I figured you did it, I knew it. Latter they said they can't believe you didn't trust me.  I never directly confirmed it.....but I said don't make it about you,,,it is all about me and only me I did it how I wanted to privately.
I told one person at work and they have been wonderful and respectful.
I have told strangers....and not discussed it with friends......I do have a wonderful cousin who had a RNY a year and a half befor I did and she's been great.

Good luck kiddo!
Ellen

Well my surgery was a year ago and I know you only asked one question but I wanted to respond to some things you said, I hope you dont mind. First yes my doctor did require a two week diet. Lean meats a veggies only all day,and then two days before the surgery I had to do a total body cleanse it was this horrible tasting laxtive but it did the job I never wanna have  to do that again. I didnt really lose anthing becasue I cheated once or twice but its over now.I have lost 117 pounds and still going . However I wanted to know why you dont wanna tell people that you decided to have surgery. People are people and their gonna think what they want about who they want. I understand your saying you dont want people in your bussiness I totally agree because some people dont need to know,but I feel if you came to the decesion to have weight lost surgery then you should be confident and proud. Just my opinion take care and God Bless!!!!

I lost 18 pounds on the two week diet before surgery, that included for protein shakes per day, and 5 1/2 cup servings of either cream of wheat, lowfat creamed soup, sf ff yogurt, sf ff pudding and unlimited amounts of broth, sf popsicles, zero calories beverages excluding diet soda.  I told people about my surgery, doesn't bother me what they thinhk of me.  I just work with them, I'm not accountable to them.

I wasnt totally on liquids but I was required to lose 10% of my weight and I did. It took me six months but I lost 40 lbs Good luck to you You can do it!

Hi There,
My surgeon did not require me to be on a pre op diet.  I lost nothing pre op.  However, as far as telling people.  I didn't tell anyone but my husband and my sister.  No one else knew until almost a year out and those were a very very select few.  I don't care what anyone else thinks of me and I am not in the business of convincing other people I am right or wrong.  I do what works for me and those I love.  Do what works for you and if not including the "gossips" in your business is good for you then do it to it!

Good Luck to you

A lot will depend on how much you have to lose overall.  I lost 40 pounds on my 2 week preop diet.    I was floored!  Good luck on yours.  No, I did not cheat. 

 hello nancy. please share with me about your liquid diet. what did you drink and how much? i wasnt ever told what i may have, just as long as i stay in the 700- 1000 calorie limit a day. thank you.... 

For my preop diet the first week I could eat lean meat, fresh veggies and soups.  I am allergic to milk so I stayed away from that.  I have since discovered soy milk.  The second week was all liquids.  At the time I was given no directions so to me liquids were broths, tea, jello, sugar free popcicles, and water.  I had weaned myself away from my soda habit.  I also took :"shots" of pure protein that I added to water to get in my protein.  

Now I realize I could have done protein shakes but that is now and then was then.  I lived off a combined mixture of chicken, beef and vegetable broth blended together.  I drank hot tea, cold tea and water flavored with those little powder flavor packets that are no calorie.  I munched on sugar free popcicles until they were coming out of my ears.  They were a godsend.  After the 3rd day it was not difficult at all.  It did not even bother me when other people ate at work.  I just kept my goal of surgery in mind.

I wanted to really insure that I could have lap surgery.  I had an open gallbladder surgery that took me 2 months to recover from and I am left with pain from adhesions to this day.  There was no way I was going to be told I had not lost enough weigh or that my liver had not shrunk enough.  That thought kept me going. 

As for telling people, I did not tell the world.  I told some close friends.  I also have not met one person who has been negative about the surgery except for a sister.  That really surprises me. I think there is a better understanding of the surgery today.  

There will always be people that think it is your fault that you cannot loose by yourself by just dieting.  However, there are scientific studies that prove that if you have over 100 lbs to lose, it is not going to happen by diet alone.  However, you cannot change the minds of ignorant people.  All you can do is try to educate them and/or ignore them.  It is THEIR problem, not yours. 

This was the best thing I ever did and I would do it again in a heartbeat!  Good luck to you!  

I lost 13 lbs on my 2-week liquid diet.

I was on a 10 day pre-op diet, liquids only and I lost 18 pounds.  I did tell my office because we're all friendly but I also let everyone know that I don't want to hear any opinions on anything I do!  You don't have to tell anyone anything you don't want to.

Michelle

I lost 10 lbs on my 2 week pre-op liquid diet (the doctor also said I could salad, mostly lettuce, with vinager and soup), so I don't think 20 lbs. in a month is too much to ask, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen. Believe me, after surgery you will lose PLENTY!
As far as telling people, if you are confident in your decision to have the surgery, you should feel no shame in telling people. You are making a huge decision to better your life and if they don't support that or think you are crazy, then they are just ignorant. I understand it might be a bit difficult, but I think you should at least tell 1 person where you work (that you trust not to tell). I think it will be important to have someone support you when you get back to the office.

Good Luck!

I was on a liquid diet for two weeks before my surgery and i lost 36 lbs.    I am now down a total of 215 lbs since i started my liquid diet.

HHHmm you must work with some strange people.... maybe they need to be educated!!

 hi, i was wondering and hoping you could please share with me what your liquid diet consisted of. i really need to lose weight. 

I started my liquid diet early because both my hubby and I were having surgery So I started my liquid diet when he did well a day later... I was on liquid for about 30 days.  I lost 25 lbs.  I was hoping to get under 300 lbs before surgery but I was 3 lbs off going into surgery at 303 guess I should have started that one extra day LOL. 
My hubby was on liquid for a good 2 1/2 weeks and only lost 6 lbs.  That second week  your body goes into kinda a shock and wont let the weight off. 
I don't tell EVERYONE I had surgery.  The only people that know are the people that are at my church my family does not even know.  They don't need to know.  My inlaws know only cuz hubby told them.

My surgeon normally requires a 2 week (under 50 BMI) or a month (over 50 BMI). However I was told NOT to lose weight at all...the only diet I had was the one just before day of surgery...you know the no food and no liquids after midnight? My BMI was JUST above the low end of the cutoff and even losing a couple of lbs would have put me under a 35 BMI.

I can understand wanting to keep it private but you need to realize that you need an answer for how you eat afterwards. People WILL notice.

Liz

Thanks for answering my question and the good advise. 
I have told all of my friends that I plan on getting surgery.  Only a couple have been against me having it done.   I am not ashamed of my decision to get surgery.  I try and keep a low profile at work.  And I have found that keeping my personal life separate is best.
I have done fairly well on my diet for surgery approval.  I lost 34 lbs in 5 months.   Another 20 pounds before surgery would be great.  Makes the idea of the liquid diet palatable.